No field of dreams

Yesterday I decided to try an alternative route starting with a run around the local middle school's field. The ground was still semi frozen and very uncomfortable for running. After about half a mile I peeled off and hit the service road that leads back into the neighborhood. I continued my run on the streets until I came upon the park that connects to the elementary school's grounds. These fields were also very bumpy so I exited back to the street for the remainder of my run.

I had hoped that the additional stiffness of the Kutus would balance the uneven running surface of the athletic fields but it wasn't a comfortable experience and I was concerned about turning an ankle. I was pleased that the Kutus performed well on the street, different from the Turbulence 13s but still good. I ended up covering 2.5 miles at an average pace of 9:09. The Garmin 50 under reported the distance by about 2.8% but I still can't figure out how to correct for that using the calibration feature.

Tomorrow's Sedentary Man

In tomorrow's column Sedentary Man writes about a serious attempt to watch his diet. His 136th attempt at a diet mind you but this time he means it. I'm hoping he succeeds but if he does we're going to need to rename his column. Read the current column here...

Happy trails

Yesterday afternoon we set out to find the Muttontown Mystery Trail which is located about five minutes from our house. I wanted to try out my new Kutu trail runners and my wife and kids felt like hiking. I found it very difficult to find information about public access to the MMT but, based upon Google Maps, I thought I found the proper way in. Turns out the Mystery Trail is a mystery. Aside from the equestrian entrance there was nothing marked as an entrance for the general public. While we looked for that entrance we came across the Planting Fields Arboretum that was also located nearby. We'd been there before for an outdoor concert but had never explored the grounds. This seemed like as good a time as ever to check them out.

Upon arriving we discovered that the Planting Fields has a very large span of trails. Some are paved, some have pea gravel and some are dirt. There are many buildings on the 409 acre grounds consisting of historical mansions (this, after all, is part of LI's Gold Coast). There were many smaller buildings, some containing flower collections. There was even a covered bridge and lots of places to sit and (based upon the signs) view birds.

My son is still recovering from his foot injury but my daughter was keen to run. She and I ran a number of times while my wife and son followed. The Kutus felt good and I really liked the feeling of running on ever changing surfaces and elevations. I didn't run any long distances and didn't track my run but I would like to try a long run on these trails at some point.

We loved our visit to the Planting Fields Arboretum but we're still hoping to solve the real Muttontown Mystery which is "how do we get to the trails?"

Future trails and Garmin travails

Yesterday afternoon we hit the local outlet stores in search of a few needed items. My goal was to find some trail shoes and I tried on a bunch including the Adidas Kanadias, the Timberland Vaporate and the Nike Assail. Many runners I know eschew Nike and I'm not really sure why that is. I run with Nike Turbulence 13's and I find them to be very comfortable. I didn't really like the fit of the other maker's shoes and I ultimately chose a pair of Nike Tri-D Kutus which fit differently than the Turbs but feel very good. Later today we plan to do some running/hiking and I'll have a chance to test out the Kutus.

I did my first solo run with the Garmin 50 this morning covering 3.26 miles at an average pace of 9:00. It seemed accurate as I ran by my measured benchmarks and I liked how easy it was to toggle between distance and other real time metrics with a push of a button. I'll check the accuracy against Google Earth and adjust accordingly if necessary. I did have another negative experience with the Garmin software when I uploaded the data and it didn't hit the Garmin Connect site or show up on the dashboard. I wasn't upset because the watch retained the data but it seemed odd that the ANT wireless linking app didn't acknowledge the watch at all though I meticulously repeated the the TxPairing process a couple of times. I finally discovered the problem which is that the ANT app uploads the run to your PC but only sends the data if you are already logged into Connect. The work around (which took me a lot longer than it should have to figure out) was to pull the uploaded data from my file system and send it to Connect using the "Manual Upload" feature. Okay, I get it now but Garmin could be a little more clear about what the user should expect.

The good news is once Connect has the data the presentation is excellent. It shows a length of run graph that details pace, heart rate and cadence and even has a play feature that shows this combination of metrics at every stage of the run. I'm going to try to upload this file to MapMyRun a little later.

Back on track, literally

I began this Valentines Day with an early run at the local track. It was the first time I'd run there in over a month and it was a nice change from my other venues. I tried an experiment using both the Nike+ Sportband and the Garmin 50 on my run. I wanted to compare their relative tracking accuracy against a known distance.

It was 28 degrees but it felt colder. There was the usual strong wind for half the loop but I got used to it pretty fast. There were four other runners on the track including a couple I often see running in the morning. I passed the husband, which made me feel great until I was passed by another runner who must have been running about a 7 minute mile. The Garmin and the Sportband remained within a few 100ths of a mile of each other and, ultimately, both under reported the total distance traveled compared to the known distance. I varied my speed throughout the run and ran a total of 4.16 miles at 9:24/mile.

The Garmin vs. Sportband experience had its good and bad components. On the plus side, the 50 was a dream to operate. The HRM appeared to be accurate (yes - finally - a HRM worth a damn!) and it was easy to toggle between pulse rate, speed, cadence, elapsed time and distance as I ran. Finishing the run I simply hit stop instead of fighting with the overly sensitive Sportband button. Saving the run was easy too. Now for the bad part. After a run is captured into history you cannot review the metrics on the watch. The data must first be uploaded to Garmin's Training Center. The badder news is that you can't do this with a Mac even though they're touting new Mac capability on the Garmin website. I fell for it and installed the app and "uploaded" my run. The only problem is that the Mac compatibility only extends to the ANT USB link that allows for data transfer. So the data can be transferred but IT CAN'T GO ANYWHERE. Furthermore, the factory default setting is to delete history from the watch once data is sent so my run went away forever. Happily I also had the whole run recorded by the Sportband.

I installed the Training Center on my XP PC in my guestroom and was able to upload a test "run" to the system. I also switched the transfer program to "DON'T DELETE after sending" so I should be okay for tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Speed bumping

Earlier this week I caught up with a friend over lunch and covered a number of subjects including running. This friend is an accomplished runner and one of my best sources of information about training. He's also an accomplished writer and poet and, as a top executive at Rodale, he helped bring Runner's World to that publisher.

We talked about my upcoming race and he reinforced the need the work on intensity running to help prepare for competition. He was gracious enough to send me a summary of his points. He reinforced the reason why speed training is important by closing with "What’s the good of this if you can’t show someone your heels?" That's the positive side of the argument for participating in races.

I ran two strong miles this morning and incorporated speed intervals into the run. I maintained a 9:20 pace for the first .75 mile then accelerated to an 8:06 pace for 90 seconds and then dialed down (I was on the treadmill) to 9:05. I folded in a couple more 90 second speed bumps before completing two miles. I haven't yet calculated the overall pace but I expect it was close to 8:55. Tomorrow I'll do more of this on the track. If I can beat a 9:30 pace for 4 miles I'll be pleased. If I can beat 9:00 I'll be proud.

Measure twice, cut one

Shortly before I left the office yesterday my wife sent me an email that said "Good News, I think your new watch thingy came today." I got home and was very excited to see that it had, in fact, arrived.

The watch thingy is a Garmin Forerunner 50 with data linking, heart rate monitor and foot pod. Theoretically, this watch has everything I need to capture the metrics from my runs and wirelessly transmit the data to my PC. Compared to my Nike+ Sportband it does quite a lot. That's partially due to the Sportband's tendency to self destruct, usually within two months of receipt. The Sportband's display has become increasingly difficult to read (apparently the design has big problems with corrosion) and it no longer shares well with others. By this I mean that when I try to upload my run data to the Nike+ site it refuses to acknowledge that there is any available data. For that last two weeks I've had to record all my run data manually.

Now that the 50 has arrived I'm anticipating the opportunity to capture my training information in all different ways. The 50 has a stopwatch so, at the very least I can accurately time outdoor running and compare distance from Gmaps for pace. The watch also calculates splits and times intervals. The HRM captures length of workout pulse rate and the foot pod captures speed, pace and distance.

So theoretically I'm set. But what about reality? Experience has shown that running technologies often sound better than they perform. I've had a continuously bad experience with the Sportband but yet I continue to use it because it does one thing very well; capture run distance very accurately. This weekend I plan to perform a faceoff between the Nike+ Sportband and the Garmin 50. I'll wear them both and compare the distance data they report. I'll then compare that data to the benchmark of Google Earth measurement.

One will win and the other will be returned. I really hope the Garmin's capability is more than theoretical.

The tail and the dog

As I edge closer to my April race date I find myself tuning my runs for greater speed and distance. Knowing that these upcoming races are looming creates an urgency to my training. Four miles on April 19. No big deal for most runners but it's still a challenging distance for me. I have exceeded the four mile mark a few times and I could probably even run five now but I wouldn't be too happy by the finish.

I recently ran into a friend who I haven't seen in a while. Like everyone who knows me but hasn't seen me for six months he looked concerned and asked warily if I'd lost weight. I told him yes, that I'd been running. He told me that he runs and has been running for years. I asked him about distances and he said he runs six miles during the week and over ten miles on weekends. We compared paces, etc. and once again I was humbled in the presence of a real runner.

I told him that I was signed up for a couple of races in the spring and I asked him how often he competed. He surprised me by saying he didn't race. In fact he had never raced and didn't see the point of it. To him running, not competing, is the point. When you're competing you spend your time focusing your activity on a single event - not on the enjoyment of the sport. Running is the dog and the race is the tail. Most people chase the tail and miss the fun. He said he'd rather just run. I asked him then why he tracked distance and pace and he laughed and said it was a force of habit.

I'm not sure that I agree with my friend on this. Training for a race can be fun. Making goals and training to exceed them can be an enjoyable experience. I don't expect to win on April 19th but I'm going to try. There are worse things to do on your birthday.

Don't try this at home

Yesterday morning I attended the Amazon press event where they unveiled their newest Kindle reader. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, demonstrated the device and he talked about how people use the Kindle. He said that people can use it while on the treadmill and I tried unsuccessfully to think of a scenrio where that would not end badly. I don't know about anyone else but when I'm on the treadmill there is very little opportunity to focus on reading. Besides that, I'm guessing that the percussive force from running would likely vibrate a device right off the holder. Every time I run indoors the clock across the room turns, moves or falls off the bedside table.

The writer, Stephen King, followed Bezos on stage and he also talked about reading with the Kindle on the treadmill. Maybe it works for walkers. I'm going to try an experiment this weekend to try to read the NY Times or Fortune magazine on my Kindle while I run. If it works I'll gladly retract my skepticism.

In tomorrow's Sedentary Man

In tomorrow's column the Sedentary Man teaches us two different choices we can make regarding massage. Personally I don't think either choice is particularly appealing. Sedentary Man is teaching us so much I'm considering changing his website to a .edu. Read the current column here.

One good thing leads to another

There are a number of good things that I attribute directly to running. Besides the obvious (better health, strength and stamina) and the things that go with that (weight regulation, improved physique) there are a few other things that I'm enjoying:

• Increased patience. There's something about distance running (even the distances that I run) that help set internal expectations for tedious events. I know that when I'm at the beginning third or quarter of a run I sometimes get annoyed by what I have left to go. This is especially true for treadmill running where the constants are usually time and blank wall space. More and more I am able to reach a zone where I can make use of the tedium by thinking about things with few distractions. This is a huge breakthrough for me and evidence that I've nudged up a bit from beginner to intermediate. Previously I was too distracted by the suffering to do much thinking but, as conditioning improves, I have more time to enjoy my runs. The concepts of bearing up through other tedious things in life (commuting, long meetings, checkout lines) apply here as well. My wife and kids may disagree but I think I am much more patient than I was 6 months ago.
• Broadened interests. First there was running but that led to running technologies and a greater interest in nutrition. I'm also looking forward to trail running (I know, just do it and stop writing about how I plan to do it!). I'm also thinking a lot more about integrating karate into my workouts and I'll probably go back to roller blading once it warms up and the streets are clear of snow and dirt. There are many more things than that but, possibly most important of all, it gives me something to write about.
• Energy. Let's just say I'm much more willing to do activities on the weekends than I used to...

Running and activity also enhances engagement with people in a way that I have not experienced in a long time. I work with many smart, dynamic people and I've discovered many of them run, cycle or do multiple sports. This website allows me to engage with people across the country and the world through an area of common interest. My wife has always been an active person and my activity now compliments hers. She even did some running this weekend although it's not her sport. Since the kids are getting into running it would be great if all four of us could run together. Running and general activity have enhanced every aspect of my life. What took me so long to come back to it?

Beating expectations

It was much warmer today than yesterday so I had no issues with the cold. The wind from the west was strong and the combination of wind plus hills plus 42 degree heat made for a rigorous run. Yesterday I Gmapped my run only to discover that my Sportband was off by 2% and I had actually run almost 4.5 miles, achieving a 9:13 average pace. I Gmapped today's run and saw that it was off by almost 3% of the actual distance. I'm pleased that I exceeded my weekend goal of 8 miles in two runs. I may go to the track later with my daughter who wants to run again. I have not been to the track since discovering it covered by ice and snow but the warmer weather should have cleared that by now.

After discovering that the Sportband was not only refusing to upload any runs to the Nike+ site and was increasingly off calibration I decided to buy a Garmin 50 with HRM and foot pod. The Garmin 50 does not use GPS, the foot pod works in a similar way that the Nike+ system works using RFID. I've had readers tell me that the Garmin 50 works pretty well and I've read similar observations on websites. The reason I didn't get a GPS enabled watch is that the Garmin 305 is just too bulky and the 405 (which is a great running watch) costs $400 including the HRM and foot pod.

So until I get the 50 I'll use the Sportband to record elapsed time and distance and adjust for the Sportband’s inaccuracy. I hope to have the Garmin by next weekend. The only issue with the Garmin is that the software does not work on a Mac so I'll need to use my wife's laptop that runs Vista (ugh) or our upstairs XP machine. No matter, I'm excited about this decision and I will report on my experience soon enough.